I know most of you are thinking, “What the hell Erin – Pepsi is evil corporate greed-head scum that rots your teeth and makes you fat!”

True, prolonged use of this delightfully carbonated swill might end up packing on ten extra pounds and cost you a few grand in porcelain veneers – but I will argue there is no tastier beverage to accompany a plate of cheese enchiladas at Efrain’s, or that can directly contribute to saving a worldwide population of lemurs.

Wait, a second – why is she talking about lemurs? What is a lemur anyway, and what is this post really about? ARRRRRGHHHH!

"Lemur Femur" by Erin King

Okay, first a quick biology lesson. Lemurs are primates that evolved before apes and monkeys, and the live only on the island of Madagascar. Unfortunately, like almost any other charismatic mammal on the planet, every species of lemur is critically threatened.

I know this because when I incorporate lemurs into my artwork, the kind folks at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) in Durham, North Carolina always help me out with lemur statistics, facts, and imagery. This information is vital in helping me create new and interesting compositions, so now I think it’s my turn to help them win a $50,000 grant that’s up for grabs from Pepsi.

Now, before all of you dismiss the idea that corporate money is no good to organizations like the DLC, let’s look at what Pepsi is doing to improve their junk food empire.

In January 2010, Business Week published an article about how Pepsi is “Bringing in the Health Police” by “hiring a team of idealistic scientists to find alternatives to Doritos and Mountain Dew.” This of course does nothing to immediately fix the myriad of other social issues that inevitably plagues a corporation of this magnitude, but I think they’re aware consumer demands are changing, and even Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity says, “They’re (Pepsi) the most progressive player in the industry.”

Another thing I’m digging about Pepsi right now is their Refresh Project. You may recall a post written by Anna Brones for Elephant in February detailing Pepsi’s new grant program, and consequently it’s how the Duke Lemur Center could score $50K at the end of the month.

The Refresh Project allows anyone to submit an idea in one of six categories:

Members of the community (i.e. you and me), then vote on any project we see worthy of receiving funds. The cycle renews every month with fifty projects receiving grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 – that’s $1.3 million dollars Pepsi is giving away monthly.

So I think it’s worthwhile to support Pepsi’s new philanthropy model by checking out some of these stellar projects. Voting for this cycle ends on March 31st, but you can vote everyday until then for 10 different ideas. Here are my favorites from the six categories, but please vote for what speaks to your heart – as long as it also includes the lemurs!

About Erin King

The most important thing you’ll ever know about Erin is that, in general, she prefers the company of wild animals to people. It’s not that she doesn’t like you, it’s just that furry critters are much more obvious with their intentions, i.e. they’re either going to eat, maim, or ignore you. Ah, the simplicity of it all. Personally, she finds the rest of this “about me” section to be pretty yawn inducing, but hey, you’re the one that clicked on her name.
Erin owns a business in Boulder, CO by the name of Deadwilder Design & Illustration . Under it’s guise she works as a fine artist, scientific illustrator, and graphic designer. She went to college twice, and as a result received a BFA in Studio Art from Texas Tech University in 1999, and a MS in Museum and Field Studies from the University of Colorado in 2005.

4441310 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fdrink-pepsi-or-lemurs-will-cease-to-exist%2FDrink+Pepsi%2C+or+Lemurs+Will+Cease+to+Exist.2010-03-22+19%3A21%3A14Erin+Kinghttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D44413 to “Drink Pepsi, or Lemurs Will Cease to Exist.”

Erin,
What is so cool about this is where the money is coming from. Pepsi decided to put their Super Bowl advertising money into the community which now funding the Refresh project. So, instead of it going into the greedy hands of the television execs, it is seeding communities all over the US (to the tune of $1.3 million a month!). The Path to Tomorrow project for the Duke Lemur Center will create about 7 jobs through construction and support. So job creation, a chance to spark the spirit of young conservationists / ecologists / biologists, and the chance for the community to share in the wonder of these amazing creatures – looks like a homerun to me! Keep voting – they are hovering around 22 and need to get back above 20 to participate for another month and in the top 10 to win the $50k.

what's interesting is where the money comes from: the average joe who wouldn't give a damn about anything ecological/social etc. indirectly pays a tribute to a better world.
long overdue, the big brands need to rediscover the philantropic values and it would be nice to see more of these initiatives growing into what could become a better place, one softdrink at a time.
i assume that none of the EJ readers would drink a pepsi, hence you guys may still donate directly to the organizations.
ps: i drink a coke zero from time to time, just to remind myself how awful it tastes…

All in all, I like her. Yes, I think she is dramatic at times, but it seems like everyday communication includes a little showmanship to convery your message. I’ll tell you, she seems to have a great style! I like her!